About Becoming a Magical Girl

She glanced sideways at Yukina.

"This stretch of road... has already been abandoned..."

Yukina remained silent.

Efnir pressed her lips together before speaking again.

"This sort of thing is common, too. Although funding and manpower are still fairly abundant, the resources gathered from this city and the surrounding towns are nearing their limit. So, we have no choice but to abandon less important areas and stop maintaining them. Everything is becoming scarce now—clean water, essential oil. Keeping the Boundary Stele running continuously consumes a tremendous amount of electricity, but the power transmission facilities left behind from 'that era' have also aged, and shortages are gradually beginning to show."

Ever since the nuclear power plant inherited from the Old Era had reached the end of its lifespan and withdrawn from the power grid, this city's energy crisis had only grown worse. There was no helping it. Given the resources Xijing City could currently obtain, even putting the nuclear plant back into operation had become a difficult matter.

"Besides that, our weapons and material reserves are also running dangerously low. This city did not inherit the capacity from 'that era' to outfit helicopters and fighter jets, and the usable equipment in storage is steadily dwindling. Yukina, you know what that means, don't you..."

Efnir looked toward the end of the road. It was pitch-black there, with only the headlights stubbornly shining into the darkness.

"Everything is being compressed. One day, it will become a spark of unrest and erupt... If we cannot make progress soon in our investigations and reclamation work Beyond the Boundary, then after repeated attacks by Erosion Entities, this city will eventually reach a point where it can no longer repair itself. It will uncontrollably descend into the abyss of decay. That will be the day this city disappears from the map."

The car continued onward and stopped before the Orderkeeper Headquarters building.

"Ah, we're here. It really was a little far coming from that direction..."

Efnir gestured ahead.

"This is the headquarters of the Orderkeepers. Well, part of it was damaged in the last attack, but it still looks quite spectacular from here... Yukina's school should have organized activities here before, right?"

Every school held similar teacher-student activities, mainly for educational visits concerning the Orderkeepers and White Hole Erosion. Representatives would also be invited to personally teach the students a few short lessons.

For students, this type of activity happened once or twice almost every semester. These were also "classes" the schools offered to improve students' understanding of related knowledge.

"Mm... The teacher brought us here once... You seemed to be away at the time."

"Huh? Really..."

"Anyway, you never tell me anything about yourself, Sis."

"Ah... um..."

Efnir suddenly fell silent, unsure how to answer Yukina's pointed words.

"I'm sorry, Yukina. At first, I never intended to keep it from you forever, but back then, I didn't have the ability to protect you, nor did I have enough courage. After hesitating for so long, I gradually began worrying about other things too, so please forgive me..."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Sis. I don't want you apologizing."

Yukina pursed her lips and said nothing more, turning her gaze aside.

It had happened not long after she first met Efnir. Yukina no longer remembered who the representative giving that lecture had been. She only remembered carefully wandering through the open areas provided in the headquarters building by herself during the tour, hoping to find an opportunity to catch even a distant glimpse of Efnir. But in the end... her wish had not come true. Later, she learned from the representative in charge of the lecture that Efnir had happened to be out on a mission.

That memory had been plain and uneventful. When she occasionally recalled it later, only a faint regret lingered in her heart.

The figure she pursued had always been so, so far away. There had never been a chance to get close. Though she had felt unwilling to accept it, she had never imagined what it would be like if she could get close to her and stay by her side.

Back then, Efnir had been beyond Yukina's reach.

But now, she had become her sister.

For Yukina, her past life with the brother named Yanase Naoto had become like a dream—blurred and impossible to comprehend.

Now that the back of the brother she admired and the face of the Efnir she loved were gradually merging together, she could no longer tell which was Efnir's true form.

"Since the headquarters building is under reconstruction, the medical department has been moved over to United Hospital."

Efnir spoke.

"Although it's a little far, only United Hospital has the medical facilities we need, so there's no helping this inconvenience. Also, the underground parking lot has been turned into office space, and my department has moved into the special area underground. So I probably can't show you where I usually 'work'... But if you're interested, I can introduce you to my coworkers. Anyway, let's get out and head over."

"Mm..."

Efnir got out of the car first.

Yukina opened the door and looked toward the building along the somewhat dilapidated road.

It was a striking, inverted U-shaped building of considerable scale, now covered in lights against the night. It differed somewhat from how she remembered it last time. Nearly a third of the building had been damaged, and reconstruction was underway at a frantic pace. Construction workers bustled everywhere, along with patrolling soldiers.

"Come with me."

Efnir took Yukina's hand and walked straight ahead.

Her palm was warm and soft, like the feeling of traveling alone on a sunny day.

Yukina quietly followed.

All the departments Efnir belonged to had been moved into the special area beneath the headquarters building. Since this place had originally been intended for storage and temporary shelter, there were no separate offices. The employees' desks were arranged face-to-face, serving as workspaces.

Yukina looked around curiously.

The air carried the distinctive chill of air conditioning, thick with the faint scent of ink and paper. Busy figures hurried past her, while the air was filled with the rustle of turning pages and the tapping of keyboards.

The working atmosphere was far more serious than she had imagined.

This was the organization where her sister had always worked... the Orderkeepers.

"This is the Internal Affairs Department. It has a rather close relationship with my department. Generally speaking, many matters are centralized and assigned here."

Efnir said.

"Because of two major disasters in a row, everyone in the department has been rushed off their feet... Well, it can't be helped. These two Erosion Disasters caused enormous losses, far beyond what we could bear. Representatives, logistics staff, and civil servants alike suffered substantial casualties, and we're severely understaffed now. Anyway, let's head over here. If I stay here, I'll interfere with their work."

Only then did Yukina realize that ever since she and Efnir had arrived, people had been watching them curiously.

"Mm..."

Yukina took Efnir's hand of her own accord and followed her to the side. At that moment, a fashionably dressed girl approached from ahead. Just as Yukina noticed her, she saw Efnir and Yukina as well.

"Efnir!"

The girl came up to Efnir and greeted her.

"Why did you come here at a time like this? I was worried about you just now..."

"Oh, I was looking for you too."

Yukina looked at the girl and frowned slightly.

This was the girl she had seen that morning, the one traveling with her "brother." Yukina disliked her somewhat. She was holding a cup of coffee and a stack of documents, and her gaze happened to meet Yukina's.

Then the other girl froze for a moment, her face filling with utter shock.

"L-Little Yukina??"

The girl's surprise did not seem feigned at all. Yukina saw that she had nearly spilled the coffee in her hand.

"Do we know each other?"

Yukina's tone was hardly polite, like an old father questioning his daughter's boyfriend.

"I'm..."

"She's Shinomiyami Nami, my agent. You met today for the first time."

Efnir explained before Shinomiyami Nami could.

Now it was Yukina's turn to be stunned.

"Miss Shinomiyami...?"

"Because of the special nature of her work, Shinomiyami Nami changes her appearance a little when acting as an agent. This is what she normally looks like."

"I see..."

Shinomiyami Nami still looked as though she had seen a ghost, and Yukina felt much the same.

No matter how Yukina looked at it... Shinomiyami Nami's current appearance was not something that could be achieved by merely "changing a little." She was practically a completely different person from her appearance as an agent.

Still, if she only looked at her face and ignored her clothing and makeup, there was indeed a certain familiarity to it.

Yukina had felt a subtle sense of familiarity the moment she saw her that morning. Perhaps it was because she had met Shinomiyami Nami before.

"Miss Shinomiyami Nami, I was rude just now. I didn't realize it was you..."

"Ah, n-no, it's fine. Don't worry about it..."

Shinomiyami Nami still seemed unable to recover, her gaze shifting blankly back and forth between Efnir and Yukina.

"Speaking of which, what are you two going to..."

"I'm showing Yukina around my workplace. Don't worry, we won't interfere with anyone else. Also, Nami, is the commander downstairs?"

"Ah, she is! I just saw her heading downstairs with Miss Canary."

"Is that so... I have something to discuss with her. Before that, could I ask you to take Yukina to get something to eat?"

Shinomiyami Nami brought Yukina to a space on the first basement level that had been temporarily converted from the underground parking lot.

There were not many people in the temporary cafeteria at this hour. A few employees sat scattered about, most of them resting with coffee like Shinomiyami Nami. Yukina was the only one who had ordered food and was eating dinner.

There were no windows around them. As an employee cafeteria, this former parking lot was unusually plain, even somewhat crude.

The two of them sat facing each other at a dining table.

"Sorry, Little Yukina. Construction has been going on upstairs, so the employee cafeteria can only make do with a place like this for now... Um, I wonder whether the food here suits your taste."

"Not at all. The food is delicious."

Yukina smiled as she spoke.

She had gone hungry all day and was already starving. Being able to eat something now was undoubtedly a godsend to her.

"Rather, I'm happy to personally taste the food Miss Shinomiyami Nami and my sister usually eat. Thank you, Miss Shinomiyami Nami."

"You don't need to thank me for something like that."

Shinomiyami Nami sat properly and waved her hand with a wry smile.

After everything that had happened today, Shinomiyami Nami no longer knew what attitude she should take toward Yukina.

She instinctively sensed that something had happened between Efnir and Yukina, and that Yukina possessed some important secret. It was likely something extremely important to Efnir.

"In my heart, Little Yukina is like a younger sister too. Being so polite just makes us seem distant."

She smiled.

"I still want to thank you. My sister has caused you trouble all this time, and today, you also took care of me..."

Yukina politely lowered her gaze.

"And because of some misunderstandings, I made unfair assumptions about you. I hope Miss Shinomiyami won't mind."

"Huh? Was that so... Well, it doesn't really matter..."

Shinomiyami Nami casually changed the subject.

"Come to think of it, with Miss Yanase... have you changed what you call her to 'sister'?"

"That..."

Yukina wore a troubled expression and let out a barely audible sigh.

"There was no helping it. I'm honestly still not used to it either."

Shinomiyami Nami's expression became subtle.

"That makes sense. After all, she is your sister..."

All this time, Efnir had referred to herself as "big brother" before her younger sister.

No one had ever figured out why Efnir insisted so stubbornly on playing the role of an "older brother." Sometimes, they speculated that perhaps it was because an "older brother" was male, fundamentally eliminating the possibility that her younger sister would suspect her identity. Or perhaps, for a girl who had lost her parents so early, an "older brother" could provide a greater sense of security...

In the end, all of that was merely imprecise speculation.